NFL Week 1: A Key Matchup for Each Sunday Game

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) smiles. Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The regular season kicked off on Thursday night, as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks flexed their dominant muscles by disposing of the Green Bay Packers in an impressive 20-point victory. In that game, Eddie Lacy found it difficult to run on the Seahawks top-tier defense, whereas Marshawn Lynch had his way with the Packers front seven. The NFL is all about matchups pitting units against units and players against players in one-on-one situations, so it’s only natural to take a look at the most pivotal matchups heading into a game. This should end up becoming a weekly feature on the site, as we take a look at what we’re watching for on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints: CB Keenan Lewis vs. WR Julio Jones

I thought about giving Junior Galette and Lamar Holmes the spotlight, but there’s no way I was going to gloss over a marquee CB-WR matchup. It’s always entertaining to watch a shutdown corner go up against one of the best wide receivers in the game, and it’s going to be a real treat to see Julio Jones battle with Keenan Lewis, who established himself as one of the best press-man corners in this league under Rex Ryan last year. Lewis displays excellent ball skills, and he’ll be able to gamble more often with Jairus Byrd providing deep coverage.

It will be interesting to see how much Lewis tests Jones physically, because the fourth-year pro is a beast at the catch point. A physical specimen, Jones isn’t phased by press coverage, but I wonder if Lewis wants to see if Jones’s foot is truly 100%. If Lewis can’t handle Jones, then the Falcons wide receiver duo could lead them to an upset victory. In order for the Falcons to win, they have to keep up with the Saints on the scoreboard, and the way they do that is by racking up yardage in the passing game. The Saints have more talent in the secondary and on offense, but Jones could change the complexion of the game in a huge way. He’s certainly capable of beating Lewis, as he was on a lightning pace at the beginning of the 2013 season before bowing out with the foot injury.

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Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals: TE Dennis Pitta vs. Bengals LBs and safeties

Covering a top-notch “move” tight end is almost always a team effort, as cases where a guy like Aqib Talib or Kam Chancellor is matched up on a Jimmy Graham or Vernon Davis is rare. Joe Flacco definitely missed Dennis Pitta last season, and the now-healthy Ravens TE will have an even more profound role in the Ravens offense with Gary Kubiak running the show. Pitta could see some time split out wide tomorrow, and it’s going to take a cohesive performance from the Bengals back seven in order to keep the versatile weapon in check. While Flacco will use his top TE as a safety blanket, the fact of the matter is that Pitta has more than enough explosiveness to make the Bengals pay after the catch. The Bengals are pretty good at stopping opposing TEs, as Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, and George Iloka are not easy to beat.

New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders: QB Derek Carr vs. New York Jets front seven

If Derek Carr can avoid the heat on Sunday, then the Oakland Raiders have a great chance of defeating the New York Jets, as we all know that the Jets secondary is trouble, especially with top corner Dee Milliner out. Carr’s physical tools are out-of-this-world, and he probably has one of the top five arms in the league even as a rookie. In college, Carr was often criticized for not performing well when defenses put pressure on him, and this notion was furthered after a lousy performance against USC. It’s important to remember that the offensive line in front of him plays a huge role in how much pressure he faces, but it’s safe to say that he’ll feel the heat in a big way against the Jets.

Rex Ryan knows he has to dial up the pressure in order to compensate for a poor secondary, and the key to this game for the Jets will be Quinton Coples off the edge. The physically gifted OLB could be a big breakout star this year, and he has eyes set on that; this would be a great springboard game for him. We all know just what the Jets defensive line is capable of, so it’s going to be up to Carr to escape the pressure and make quick, good decisions. While the Raiders receivers aren’t great, the likes of James Jones, Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, and Andre Holmes shouldn’t have a hard time getting open against the Jets battered CBs.